A Kurdish Pioneer of Engineering and Robotics
Badīʿ az-Zaman Abu l-ʿIzz ibn Ismāʿīl ibn ar-Razāz al-Jazarī (1136–1206), commonly known as al-Jazari, was a legendary Kurdish inventor and polymath of the medieval Islamic world. Born in Upper Mesopotamia in the Kurdish region of Bohtan, he served as chief engineer at the Artuqid courts of Diyarbakır and Mardin. Recognized as the “father of robotics” and “father of modern engineering,” al-Jazari’s innovations fundamentally shaped mechanical engineering and automation. His masterwork, The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices (1206), documented approximately 50 mechanical devices with detailed diagrams and construction instructions. Unlike theoretical scholars, al-Jazari described only the machines he had personally built and tested.
Key Innovations
Al-Jazari’s greatest breakthrough was the crankshaft, enabling the conversion of rotary motion into linear motion—a principle essential to steam engines and modern machinery. He designed a double-action suction pump capable of lifting water 13.6 meters and created the earliest gear-driven water supply system. His work introduced advanced mechanisms such as camshafts, escapements, conical valves, and segmental gears. Among his major inventions were the Elephant Clock, the Castle Clock with mechanical musicians, the scribe clock with an automatic pen, and several of history’s first programmable humanoid robots, including musical automatons, a hand-washing device with a flushing mechanism, a drink-serving automaton, and the Peacock Fountain with sequentially operating figures.
Legacy and Influence
Al-Jazari’s mechanical inventions strongly influenced Leonardo da Vinci, whose automaton and engineering designs appeared nearly 200 years after al-Jazari’s work. Some scholars even argue that Leonardo should be called “the al-Jazari of the West.” Al-Jazari’s programmable machines predated the Renaissance by about 250 years, demonstrating his exceptional advancement. Today, working replicas of his devices appear in museums worldwide. As a great Kurdish inventor of the Islamic Golden Age, born and active in the Kurdish region, al-Jazari’s innovations—such as the crankshaft, programmable automata, and advanced water pumps—form the foundations of modern engineering and robotics. He stands as an enduring symbol of Kurdish scientific excellence and a source of pride and inspiration for Kurdish students.
Further Reading
- Ismail al-Jazari. The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices, 1206. Translated by Donald R. Hill. Routledge, 1996.
- National Geographic History Magazine. “Ismail al-Jazari: Muslim Inventor Called Father of Robotics.” https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/history-magazine/article/ismail-al-jazari-muslim-inventor-called-father-robotics
- Britannica Encyclopedia. “Al-Jazarī | Muslim inventor.” https://www.britannica.com/biography/al-Jazari
- Donald R. Hill. A History of Engineering in Classical and Medieval Times. Routledge, 1996. https://www.routledge.com/A-History-of-Engineering-in-Classical-and-Medieval-Times/Hill/p/book/9780415152914
- 1001inventions Org, Jazari Inventions. https://www.1001inventions.com/elephantclock/
